Written Answers Friday 10 August 2007

Scottish Executive

Education

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published proposals to make science, modern languages and technology central to children’s educational experience.

Fiona Hyslop: Earlier this year, Learning and Teaching Scotland published draft outcomes and experiences from the Planet Earth line of development in the science curriculum as part of the ongoing review of the curriculum: Curriculum for Excellence .

  During the coming school year we intend to publish learning outcomes and experiences for technology and modern languages along with all other areas of the curriculum.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1057 by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007, whether it is aware of the UK Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report, Implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive - Sixth Report of Session 2006-07 .

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1057 by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007, whether it agrees with the UK Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee that the UK Government’s proposals for the transposition of the EU environmental liability directive are unnecessarily minimalist due to the Government’s anxiety to avoid accusations of "gold plating" of EU legislation.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1057 by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007, whether it will include within its transposition provision the extension of the environmental liability directive to cover nationally-important wildlife and habitats, in light of the recommendations of the UK Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report, Implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive - Sixth Report of Session 2006-07 .

Michael Russell: It is for the UK Government to comment upon the conclusions and recommendations of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament. Nonetheless, I am aware of them.

  The Scottish Executive conducted its own public consultation on transposition of the Environmental Liability Directive, including options for going beyond the basic provisions. It received some 250 responses and is currently taking account of them in reviewing its initial policy and preparing for a second public consultation, on draft transposing regulations, in the autumn. A summary/report of the responses will be published on the Executive’s website in due course.

Environment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any development is allowed on areas of blanket bog designated under EU directives.

Michael Russell: Certain areas of blanket bog in Scotland are designated under the EC Habitats Directive as a qualifying feature on a number of Special Areas of Conservation (or secondarily as the habitat of qualifying species in Special Areas of Conservation or Special Protection Areas). Collectively, these designated sites form a network across the EU known as "Natura 2000".

  Article 6 of the Habitats Directive sets out the process of consideration which all competent authorities must follow when considering the interests of a Natura 2000 site before undertaking or consenting to development. The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) transpose this requirement into domestic law. Development affecting a Natura 2000 site may be undertaken or authorised if it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site. Development which does adversely affect the integrity of a site may only proceed if, there is no alternative; there is an over-riding public interest in the development proceeding; and appropriate compensatory measures are deployed which will maintain the overall integrity and coherence of the Natura 2000 network.

  Further information is available in the Scottish Executive June 2000 guidance which updates Scottish Office Circular No. 6/1995. This is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

National Parks

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what differentiates national parks from regional parks.

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria a park must fulfil to qualify as a regional park.

Michael Russell: The National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 provides powers for Scottish Ministers to designate national parks where they are satisfied: that an area is of outstanding national importance because of its natural, or natural and cultural heritage; that the area has a distinctive and coherent identity; and that designation of a national park would represent the best means of meeting the special needs of the area. The act identifies the aims of National Parks as:

  (a) to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area;

  (b) to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area;

  (c) to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public; and

  (d) to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities.

  Regional Parks may be designated by local authorities under powers provided in the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981. The act defines a regional park as "an extensive area of land, part of which is devoted to the recreational needs of the public". Regional Park designations are subject to confirmation by Ministers.

National Parks

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether areas designated as priority habitats under EU directives within settlements and proposed development areas should be marked on national park and local authority plans at all stages of the consultation process and on the final plan.

Michael Russell: The EC Habitats Directive defines certain species and habitats as having "priority" if they are particularly threatened in global terms and if the European Community contains a significant proportion of their natural range. Whilst all habitats and species listed in Annexes 1 and 2 of the Directive must receive protection through the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), stricter criteria apply to those with priority status.

  Whilst the boundaries of designated SACs are marked on national park and local authority plans at all stages, information about the precise extent of particular habitat types does not currently exist in a form which would allow comprehensive mapping of the extent of individual habitat types. However, information about the presence of priority habitat interests on SACs is available on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s website: http://www.jncc.gov.uk.

National Parks

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lochindorb Area of Great Landscape Value will be considered for inclusion in the Cairngorms National Park review.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what aspects of the Cairngorms National Park will be reviewed in 2008.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how people living in or near the Cairngorms National Park will be consulted during the park’s review in 2008.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be included in the consultation process for the Cairngorms National Park review in 2008.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Cairngorms National Park Authority review in 2008 will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the procedure and consultation process for the Cairngorms National Park Authority review in 2008.

Michael Russell: I expect to initiate a review covering both National Parks in 2008 with the objective of examining the operation of the Park Authorities as well as questions about the park boundaries. I will make a statement about the scope of the review, its procedures and the consultation processes before the review commences.

  Any formal review of the National Park boundaries would need to be undertaken in line with the requirements of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 and with the consultation procedures which it specifies.

Smoking

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS board area for smoking cessation services in the last three years, in light of recent figures from ASH Scotland which show that Glasgow Maryhill has the third highest smoking rate in Scotland.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Nicola Sturgeon: Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board came into being in 2006, and it is therefore not possible to give figures for that board for the last three years. The following table sets out funding available for smoking cessation services for Greater Glasgow Health Board, Highland Health Board and Argyll and Clyde Health Board (which was subsumed into Greater Glasgow and Highland Health Boards in 2006) from 2005 to 2007-08.

  

2005-06
Greater Glasgow HB
£956,000


 
Argyll and Clyde HB
£439,000


 
Highland HB
£224,000


2006-07
Greater Glasgow HB
£956,000


 
Greater Glasgow Keep Well smoking cessation allocation
£800,000


 
Argyll and Clyde HB
£439,000


 
Highland HB
£224,000


2007-08
Greater Glasgow and Clyde HB
£1,769,000


 
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Keep Well smoking cessation allocation
£800,000


 
Highland HB
£455,000



  Funding allocations for smoking cessation services are agreed by the Scottish Ministerial Working Group on Tobacco Control and include an additional adjustment to take account of social deprivation, which is closely linked to smoking rates, in each health board Area.

  An uplift of £2 million was allocated to health boards in 2007-08 in order to expand cessation services. In addition to the pro-rata increase this year, Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board would have received a further uplift in funding to take account of its share of funding for Clyde area residents, and Highland Health Board has received funding in respect of Argyll residents.

  Keep Well aims to increase the rate of health improvement in deprived communities and includes a specific funding stream for smoking cessation activity.